Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 in Review -- With Lots of Angst and Explanation but without Recipes

This has been an interesting year for Blog Appetit and myself as a food writer and blogger and recipe developer.

First, I stopped "lurking" on my own site and felt comfortable enough to share actual photos of myself on Blog Appetit, but more importantly I worked hard to develop a voice and a vision for Blog Appetit as kind of an "urban ethnic" resource. The blog focus became "cooking local, eating global" and I strived to have my posts reflect that when I could. I also began refining the voice the blog has into one that is part reportorial and part commentator.

I've also been working on my photography. I am using larger photos with most posts and I'm trying hard to not have posts without photos. I like to use one or two photos that have some narrative to them and really tell the story. I am taking more time composing and planning the photos and feel like overall the quality of the photos has improved. This is something I am continuing to improve. My vow is no more glop in a pot shot from on top (if I can help it)!

Several forces have shaped my blog posts and recipes this year. I began writing a twice-a-month cooking column for the j., a Jewish newsweekly in the San Francisco Bay area. This has been an immensely satisfying experience. Because of this commitment, I've been exploring more facets of "Jewish" food and the blog reflects that. I've also been exploring a lot of Asian food through my work with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and the classes I've taken there, and I think you see some of the flavors and techniques I've been exploring there. Another factor has been my participation in the San Francisco Food Bank's Hunger Challenge. The experience of eating on about $4 a day was a powerful one.

On a personal level, I became an empty nester, which meant I could cook with mushrooms with abandon. (We had a strong anti-mushroom force at the dinner table.) Not having children at home also influenced the kinds of food I made, resulting in much less baking and more complex flavors. I thought I would find additional time to develop recipes and post, but found that I just worked more hours instead.

Well, enough reflection, on to the recipes. Click here to see the list of my favorite Blog Appetit recipes for 2009.

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Photo of me by Bonnie Burt, filmmaker, artist, jewlery designer and good friend

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The Hunger Challenge

The San Francisco Food Bank did not hold its Hunger Challenge in 2012, but you can see the Hunger Challenge 2011 posts here and 2010 posts, budget recipes and other information here.

Click here to see what I've written on that including recipes and tips for eating on a budget as part of the 2009 Hunger Challenge. I also participated in and wrote about the 2008 challenge here.

About Me

Am I a home cook with higher aspirations or a foodie who also appreciates that sometimes simpler is better? I don't know, but I do know I like to share what I cook and what I know. I've been a writer, journalist, public relations professional and marketing consultant. I like to travel and I ALWAYS have an opinion or at least a point of view. Email me at clickblogappetit AT gmail DOT com